New initiatives for Strathmore road safety planned for 2019

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

Favourable feedback of Strathmore’s Traffic Advisory Committee’s 2018 Traffic Safety Program has spurred a proposed 2019 initiative that recently received the green light from town council with a possible financial commitment.
The 2018 Traffic Safety Program consisted of three projects: new painting of school crosswalks, installation of two new radar speed signs near the George Freeman School and a pilot program of 40 km/h zones by Cambridge Glen and Centre Street.
As a result of the public’s reception, the committee created a 2019 Traffic Safety Program consisting of two projects: the programmable school zone beacon project and the portable changeable copy signs.
Following a survey conducted by the Traffic Advisory Committee that questioned 314 Strathmore residents this year, 35 per cent said they weren’t confident in knowing the exact times when school zones were in effect. A total of 65 per cent claimed they did know the exact times but weren’t asked to provide that information in the questionnaire. However, 83.4 per cent believed flashing beacons would be beneficial in helping them determine when school zones are in effect.
The program also seeks to install portable changeable copy signs, placed in specific locations and designed to catch a driver’s attention by displaying catchy phrases that are expected to be changed every month. The project would be managed by a private company for a one-year trial.
According to Martin Wiseman, the chair of the Traffic Advisory Committee, which was tasked by council to improve road safety and reduce collisions, the committee is applying for a $25,000 government grant to go towards the programmable school zone beacon project. Wiseman also approached Strathmore town council last week during the regular council meeting on Nov. 7 with a request for $40,000 to bring the 2019 Traffic Safety Program to fruition.
“We’ve received communication from local law enforcement; when they stop drivers who are speeding in the school zones, they (drivers) claim that they didn’t know that the school zone was in effect,” Wiseman told council at the meeting. “Let’s be proud of how we drive in our town and let’s make sure that we keep our roads safe. So, whatever we have to do to achieve that, I think this would be a good start.”
Currently, school zones in Strathmore are in effect from 8 to 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m. – times that differ from playground zones. With a programmable school zone beacon project in place, all of Strathmore’s school zones will have a flashing beacon placed on top of its speed signs to reinforce school zone times for drivers. The changeable copy signs are also designed to grab the attention of those operating a vehicle with slogans, such as “It’s not a race, leave some space,” “Texting while driving … oh cell no!” and “Only sparklers should be lit, drive sober.”
“What the traffic Commission has accomplished so far in our community is impressive and the feedback that this council has received speaks to that,” said Councillor Denise Peterson at the council meeting on Nov. 7. “All children everywhere in our community are of enormous value and I really appreciate all the thoughtfulness that’s gone into this.”
Councillor Jason Montgomery also called the program a good cause and Councillor Lorraine Bauer agreed with Wiseman’s statement that further surveys can be conducted to gather more feedback and move the project along in the future. Councillor Bob Sobol, who sits on the committee, also provided council with some insight.
“This is very clearly one that is going to be difficult to judge at the effectiveness of it, it’s an educational project meant to bring attention to a person’s driving habits … it’s being used in a number of cities and especially in the United States and they found it very, very successful,” he said. “The committee is going to do everything they can do, within reason, to ensure that our motoring public is aware that especially in our school zones, where our most vulnerable and valuable assets walk daily, that they know you’ve got to slow down, and I think this is an amazing way to do that.”
Council formed a united front in voting unanimously in favour of adopting the Traffic Safety Program for 2019 and allocating $40,000 into the 2019 budget towards the program – money to be taken from the 2019 federal gas tax – and that the $40,000 would be allocated upon the receipt of the $25,000 grant contribution for the programmable school zone beacons.